Madison Manuel

Miss America Organization

October is Anti-bullying month and I am busy planning ahead with doing something each week of October!October 2nd- if you have ever been bullied in any way, wear Blue. I plan on going to a local school and speaking about my platform.October 9th- Re-write a local school’s anti-bullying policy to make it child friendly. I want to video tape and try to make a PSA with it October 16th- "Just post it" I am not talking about posting on Instagram or Facebook, but I am handing out post it notes and asking students to write something nice about a friend and post it on their locker on October 18th. October 23rd- I will be promoting #nooneeatsalone day. If you see anyone eating alone not only at school, but at work or in a car, go up to this person and invite them to your table or just sit down and start up a conversation. You will be amazed what you might have in common together. October 30th! Take a "Scoop out of Bullying" day. At the beginning of the month, I will send out a letter to local elementary schools asking for a poster contest against Anti-bullying. My sponsors will vote on the best poster and whom ever wins, I will bring ice cream from Stewart's and have a ice cream social complete with whip cream!

Our school (primary level) has invested significant resources to create a safe and nurturing learning community for children and adults. My concern is that bullying seems to be viewed as a school issue, when in fact it is a cultural/society issue that seeps into all aspects of our daily lives. Children are bombarded with unkind, disrespectful, and often vicious behavior far beyond the classroom or schoolyard. You only have to look at political campaigns, reality shows, stand in line at the Supermarket, social media, have someone cut you off while driving, etc. to see/hear examples of inappropriate, vicious, and disrespectful behavior. Children are not born bullies, but learn this behavior from the world around them. Often the seeds are planted long before they enter school, then reinforced through our culture of intolerance. All adults, whether school personnel or not, need to take responsibility for modeling appropriate behavior in every aspect of their lives, if we are ever going to shift the tide. Children are always watching/listening. Our unspoken messages are often more powerful than the spoken. Schools are a key player in addressing the problem, but approaching the problem only from the school angle will never make a sustained or measurable difference. Students bullied need to feel that they can open up and reveal their emotions, and what better way to do that then with a teacher. Today is Teacher Appreciation day! I have been student teaching this year in many different school systems and have learned so much not only in how to educate students but I've learned how challenged children are in our society and communities on so many levels. This year has been a eye-opening experience. Bullies bully for a reason. They need to trust that in listening to them, you are not out to punish, but to help them develop as people and maybe help with those underlying issues they face daily.

Proud to have my new program posters available to schools and organizations.

#ConnectingCliques

Princess Pen Pal

I am so excited to being launching a new program with my Connecting Cliques website. It's called Princess Pen Pal. If you want to know more about this program, email me at: [email protected]

Meeting with Congressman Paul D Tonko

Today I meet with Congress Paul D. Tonko in Albany, New York, to discuss about Food Allergy Bullying and
the Food Allergy Act. If enacted, would mandate schools develop
programs to address the bullying of children with food allergies.

According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, “31.5% of the
children and 24.7% of the parents reported bullying specifically due to
FA [food allergy], frequently including threats with foods, primarily by classmates.” The study was based on 251 respondents to a survey of families of children with food allergies.

Quoting the bill, the legislation specifically mandates that schools:

(1) educate students, school personnel, and parents about allergy
bullying, and that such bullying is against the rules of the school;
(2) clearly define what the punishment or response may be for a
violation of the rule against allergy bullying, which may include a
therapeutic response, where appropriate; (3) have in effect
policies and procedures that encourage each victim of allergy bullying
to report such bullying to school personnel; and (4) in carrying
out the requirements of paragraphs (1) through (3), is in compliance
with the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
( 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq. ) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq. )

In addition, I've asked for a PSA (public service announcement ) to be done in behave of Congressman Paul Tonko toward @Food Allergy Bullying. Won't you help? Contact Congressman Paul Tonko on this important issue. I want to include local people in my PSA, including Congressman Tonko.

If you are looking for a spoke person to come into a class room or school and speak about

Discussing the Food Allergy Act bill that has been sitting in Congress since 2013.

From experiencing bullying first hand I realized this could happen to anyone at any time and realized most teens are ill equipped to deal with this situation if presented. I became determined to make a difference within my own school community. Because of what happened to me I began to research the causes of bullying, organizations who provide information on bullying and ways to counteract and reverse the bullying that has escalated in our youth over the past few years. I created this website discussing my experiences with resources to deal with prejudice and intergroup tensions resulting in bullying.

For the past 5 years I have been promoting my platform by talking to youth, holding seminars, and telling people about my platform any way that I can. Thank you for coming to my website and supporting my hopes of breaking through bullying by connecting cliques!